


Better Off Undead

by LogicalParafox (Solitarysynonym)



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Sadie Killer and the Suspects
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-20 22:57:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16564742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solitarysynonym/pseuds/LogicalParafox
Summary: Sadie, unused to an encouraging environment, has a hard time opening up during band practice to share her latest song.





	Better Off Undead

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Soggywarmpockets](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soggywarmpockets/gifts).



"I've got an idea for a song," Sadie said tentatively, looking around at her bandmates. 

"Let's hear your epic jams Sadie Killer," Buck said, nodding his head. 

Sadie took a deep breath, reminding herself that they had been nothing but supportive of other song ideas they'd had and had been open to ideas and criticism. Hanging out with Buck, Jenny, and Sour Cream was such an odd experience after spending so long with Lars and his constant negativity at her side. The Cool Kids were as encouraging as Steven in their own way, all confident enough in themselves and their own skills to accept that other people could have good ideas too. To call it novel would be an understatement. 

"I'm not sure what the music would be," she said, looking down at her hands.

"That's why we're a band," Sour Cream said, smiling as he stretched his arms out to indicate their whole group. "We all bring different stuff to the potluck of our performances." 

Sadie tried to smile. "I guess I just bring the plates."

"Plates are important," Jenny pointed out. "Hard to eat food without making a biiig mess without plates." 

"Give us what you got, Sadie Killer, and we'll see what we can bring to your musical pot luck." 

Sadie blushed but pulled out her notebook, flipping to the song lyrics she had scribbled down when she woke up. "So I was having a dream last night... about a graveyard... and when I woke up I had an idea for a song..." Her eyes on her notebook as she tried to remember the feeling she'd had when she woke up, she missed Sour Cream nudging one of the microphones nearer to her and Jenny leaning back to hit record on Sour Cream's soundboard. 

_We've got no life six feet under._  
When it rains we don't thunder.  
Quiet spooks just driftin'  
but these spirits need a liftin'... 

_I think it's time we raised our heads_  
got together and raised the dead  
If you're feeling growing dread  
Maybe you know  
Maybe you know  
The time comes soon  
To leave the tomb. 

_The graveyard lay quiet_  
Until we started this riot  
These haunts are gonna get loud  
And from here on you can't ignore our crowd 

_I think it's time we raised our heads_  
got together and raised the dead  
if you're feeling growing dread  
Maybe you know  
Maybe you know  
The time comes soon  
We're leaving the tomb 

_Leave those musty shrouds behind_  
We're coming alive  
The living must die 

Sadie opened her eyes, wondering when she had closed them, and met the astonished looks on their faces. "Is it... Do you not like it?"

"Sadie that was great!" Jenny shouted, punching the air. "Did you get the whole thing?" 

Sour Cream plopped his headphones on and fiddled with his soundboard, then grinned. "Got it. You said you dreamed that?" 

"Sing it again Killer," Buck said, reaching for his guitar. "Let's see if we can thrash out some chords." 

Sade stared at them. "...Really?" 

Buck looked at her like she'd asked an incomprehensible question. "Well you said you didn't have much in the way of melody and that was pretty rough but it's got some definite potential and then our set list will have... how many?"

"Three songs," Sour Cream said with a grin. "I think we could definitely make a prop mausoleum for you to rise out of... Fog machine and spooky lights." He dug around for his sample board with a wider array of clips from Sadie's extensive horror movie collection. "Are you thinking more this or this?" he asked, playing two different bits of haunted house music. 

"I.. I don't know! I just have some lyrics!" 

"Just follow your ear then," Jenny said, picking out notes that matched the second clip. 

Buck struck a chord that harmonized well and Sadie frowned. "No, I think the other one fit better," she said. 

"Told you you knew," Jenny said with a smug smile as she settled back into her chair, listening to what Sour Cream played. She and Buck picked around it within the scale while Sour cream tried a few other things, finally pulling out his full computer to mix and match with Sadie's initial recording. 

By the time the afternoon was done, Sadie had forgotten to doubt herself and was arguing with Buck about how the song should end. He was trying to insist they stick with the way she had closed it initially but she'd had a better idea since then. Finally she grabbed her notebook to do a rough sketch of the stage as she could see it in her head to persuade him. He looked it over, then nodded slowly. "Ohhh, I see what you mean now," he agreed, then grinned. "It was a lucky day for us when you came to that rehearsal and gave us our direction and sound Sadie Killer." 

"I just wanted to help." 

"You're the chanting necromancer with the unholy tome that leads the way to the underworld," Buck said. 

Sadie shook her head at his ridiculous language, then paused. "Do you think we could make some kind of necromancer robes and book? That seems like we could write another song about that..."

"What'd I say? Lucky."

\-----

After practice they headed to Fish Stew Pizza, chatting about what order would be best for their next show over a large pepperoni as they took over the back table. It was late in the day and the restaurant was mostly empty anyway, Kiki manning the counter with Kofi out on deliveries. 

Kiki enjoyed listening to them talk, happy that her twin and her twin's friends were so occupied and driven. The restaurant had been quieter since Ronaldo became more of a takeout person as he manned the lighthouse telescope day and night... or at least when he was awake and not distracted by getting into arguments on his website about what his various mysteries meant. 

Overall she enjoyed the quiet too. Nanefua was off mayoring and Kofi had less to complain about these days with his family so busy and finding their own paths in life. Well, no, he was very good at finding things to complain about. 

Kiki filled a pitcher with iced tea and headed over to top up glasses, with all of them smiling at her until Jenny snagged her twin's wrist. "Tell them Kiki!" 

"What? Tell them what?" 

"Tell them I'd look way better dressed as a zombie than a ghost! I think this should be a _zombie_ uprising not a ghostly one! Zombies are so popular right now!!"

Kiki snorted. "Win your own arguments, Jenny." 

Jenny huffed and stole a pepperoni off of Sour Cream's slice. "I bet Buck knows how to do zombie makeup and everything." 

Buck shifted in his seat and she smirked. "I knew it!" 

"Just because I've learned how to apply fake wounds and falling apart skin doesn't mean I can do zombie makeup!" 

"Isn't that mostly what zombie makeup is?" Sour Cream asked, confused. 

Kiki smiled at Sadie, who was grinning and eating as the other three fell into their usual banter. Her twin's best friends weren't really a relationship you could get in the way of. They'd been a close-knit trio for so long that it would be nearly impossible to break into it, but she was glad that Sadie had learned what she had: you didn't have to break in to find room for yourself. Jenny, Sour Cream, and Buck weren't the sort to only have each other and exclude anyone. If you could hang with all three of them, they were more than happy to let you. As Sour Cream said when Kiki hung out with them on occasion: that's what makes the best nachos.

**Author's Note:**

> Day eight of my piecemeal NaNoWriMo in the form of various works of fanfiction. This one goes out to SWP!


End file.
